Dream a Little Dream of Me
by avengingdestiel
Summary: Tony's life has been nothing but smooth sailing since the reactor was removed. Until the nightmares that is. Slightly slow moving stony fic. Eventual smut. Spoilers for Ironman 3.
1. Chapter 1

He thought it would help. Pepper was being fixed, being returned to normal, so why not do the same for himself? Why not fix himself instead of hiding behind the metal suit as he had for years? Why not be Tony, and just Tony? Not a superhero, not a life-saver, not... Ironman. So he did it. After hours of being subjected to the doctor's skilled fingers, needles, scalpels and tweezers, he was fixed. He was a new man, he was_ just_ a man now. New York, the Mandarin, the nightmares; they were all behind him. With the shrapnel gone, the reactor no longer a part of his body, and the suits reduced to metal confetti, he could put it all behind him. For the first time in years, he was Tony Stark. He was no longer responsible for the well being of others. He could focus on Pepper, on their relationship. He could work on those panic attacks (or not) or visit Harley and see how he liked the new workshop. Hell, maybe he'd even try that schwarma shit again. He was free man now. The rest was history and for now he could do whatever he damn well pleased.

Or so he thought.

The first two weeks of being just Tony went fine. Perfect even. He took Pepper to dinner in Paris; had the entire restaurant cleared and paid to have a private audience with a violinist who just happened to play renditions of Pepper's favorite songs (Tony thought it was all too shrill sounding, but Pepper couldn't keep her smile at bay when the music flawlessly transitioned to The Scientist, so, maybe it wasn't _too_ bad). The next stop was the Cayman Islands. Pepper had mentioned wanting to swim with dolphins, and so what if Tony thought dolphins were silly looking? He had tons of apologizing to do for the past few months, the past few years really. They were starting over and falling in love and being carefree. One day was spent simply soaking in Tony's pool-sized bath tub. Nothing intimate, just lounging together and relishing in the fact that they could finally have some time together without worry. Tony was sleeping again, and wasn't wrapped up in his suits until the early hours of the morning. He was there completely for Pepper, and he was starting to enjoy it. The nights spent cuddling, the dinners spent laughing, the for once dreamless sleeps that actually left him feeling well rested in the mornings. For the first time in a while he was content. Until the nightmares.

Tony had quit fearing sleep right after the surgery. Maybe some part of his conscience tied the reactor to New York and now that it was gone, the literal weight was off of his chest. He had been having peaceful nights, full eight hours of sleep that left him bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (well, maybe not bushy-tailed, Tony still was the sarcastic asshole that he had always been, but hey, he was getting better.) He had no need to fear sleep.

Waking up suddenly clawing at where his reactor should have been however? Changed that in an instant. His eyes scanned the room, glancing over at Pepper as he desperately tried to catch his breath again and calm the heart slamming against his ribs. His hands shook as he did a look over. He was safe. Pepper was safe. The panic continued to flow through him as flashes of his dream came to him in waves. Loki. The chitauri. The bomb. His stupid idea of sacrificing himself. Not breathing. JARVIS cutting out. Hacking as his lungs fought for air. Falling. Eyes closing. Dying. Bruce scaring his heart into beating. Steve. That goddamn look of relief on Steve's face was the last thing he could remember. Of all things.

Tony quietly shifted out of bed, looking back at Pepper as her chest rose and fell in an even pattern, something Tony's should be doing. But no, his was still stuttering in an erratic beat. As he headed towards the door he heard the whisper of sheets behind him.

"Tony, what're you doing up?", Pepper slurred, still halfway overtaken with sleep.

"Water," Tony managed to choke out, sounding more normal than he thought possible. A small humming noise was the only sign that Pepper had heard him before she rolled back over and succumbed to sleep again.

Tony slid out of their room, careful to shut the door silently, not wanting to wake Pepper again. He shakily descended the stairs before heading to their kitchen, the water he was supposedly going to get replaced by scotch. Downing more than he should in a single gulp, Tony filled his glass again before padding into their living room, realizing what he was going to do.

"JARVIS, you there, buddy?"

He had gone months without JARVIS. It had been lonely at first, but he was able to push through. Although installed in their new home, he hadn't called upon his faithful friend until now. The seconds stretched before the room itself finally answered back.

"Yes, sir. Although if I may, I must say it has been quite some time."

A sad smile crept onto Tony's face, "I know... I was just trying to start over y'know?"

"I see, may I ask why you've called upon me, sir?"

"... The nightmares are back JARVIS. Maybe worse than last time," Tony looked down, ashamed at himself for calling on a system in his time of need.

"Well, I do hope you don't mind that I've taken the liberties of running a body scan. You're suffering from an acute panic attack, one most definitely cause by your nightmare. Was it... Was it New York, sir?"

Tony sighed before a quiet, "Yes," escaped his lips.

"Sir, it might be wise for you to sit down. And maybe stop inhaling your beverage."

Tony hadn't even noticed that he had brought the bottle with him, what once was a brand new bottle of scotch now sat half empty.

"Maybe you're right," placing the bottle on the side table, he then went to sit on the couch, placing his legs out in front of him and staring at the ceiling as if he were at a therapy session.

"Sir, although not very characteristic of you, would you like to talk about it? I just scanned all articles and scholarly works regarding dream analysis and put them into my database."

"JARVIS, you're not going to be my shrink. I tried that with Bruce and literally bored him into dozing off."

"Well, sir, if you haven't noticed, I am incapable of dozing off. It's not as though I haven't listened to your ramblings before, sir."

Tony snorted before taking another swig of scotch. Damn. He had been doing so well on the sober front. "Fine. But only because I'm a little too drunk to care," the realization that half a bottle of scotch was enough to inebriate him came as a shock. How long had he been without alcohol?

"Well, sir, I am, as you might put it, all ears."

Tony rubbed his face before sitting up a bit, mulling over the dream himself, "It was just New York again. Loki, those weird ass skeletal aliens, humbly sacrificing myself for the greater good. You know, the works."

"Did you wake up as you were dying, sir? Some studies seem to suggest that could be a sign of post traumat-"

"No. That's not where it ended. I fell back to earth and Bruce scared me into breathing and I woke up after I saw-", he frowned as he cut himself off.

"After you saw what, sir?"

Tony grew quiet for a moment before he replied, "After I saw Steve. The last thing I remember is the way Steve looked at me after I started breathing again, once he realized I wasn't dead. It... I don't know. I woke up after that."

"According to these studies, sir, this could be nothing, your brain is simply replaying events that stand out in your mind. A possibility is post traumatic stress, but you show little other symptoms. One article however... Waking up to someone could signify fondness, or you missing them. What do you believe, sir?"

Mulling it over, Tony found himself not wanting to think of all the possibilities. He didn't need PTSD in his life right now, not when he was finally getting better, and he sure as hell didn't miss Steve. Yeah, fighting with the 80-year-old virgin was cool, but he didn't miss him. They went their separate ways and that was that, "I think I'm fine. It was nothing and I just need to go back to sleep. Thanks. I guess."

There was a slight pause before JARVIS responded, almost sounding disappointed, "Whatever you say, sir. Good night."

Tony padded up the stairs without another word. Getting back in bed, he tried to turn his mind off, not needing to think and cloud his brain. After an hour of tossing and turning he finally fell back into a once again, dreamless sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Tony woke up to an empty bed. Rolling over, he glanced at the clock and found it to be twenty minutes past noon. "Shit!" Nearly falling on the floor, he flung himself off the bed and searched the room haphazardly for some clothes. He heard a chuckle behind him.

"Well aren't you just a sleepy-head today?", Pepper asked before striding up to Tony and placing a quick kiss on his lips. "Don't worry, you seemed to have a pretty rough night, so I rescheduled your meeting. You'll be meeting with Mr. Matthews tomorrow at...", she glanced down at her iPad, "...at three. Although watching you fumble around was quite amusing."

Smiling at Pepper, Tony turned away and stretched, "I was not fumbling. Starks do not fumble. And thanks."

"You're welcome... Tony, is there something you need to tell me about? You took an awful long time to get a glass of water last night. And you kind of reeked of boo-"

"M'fine, Pepper. Promise. Just a little nightmare, nothing serious," Tony feigned disinterest as he got dressed. "Plus, what could ever be wrong with me?" He questioned, batting his eyelashes in mock flirtation.

Although slightly apprehensive, Pepper nodded before going through Tony's altered schedule with him. After a few weeks of break time, Tony was finally getting back into the swing of things and needed to start looking into different ways of expanding Stark Industries. The next few days held countless meetings and luncheons that would be discussing the future of Stark Industries and its possibility of further expansion overseas. Tony wasn't looking forward to it by any means. The man had once craved distraction, but he now was beginning to prefer the quiet life, something that would have alarmed his past self. After slipping on a simple suit and running a hand through his hair, he left, forgetting all his troubles as he headed out the door.

The day was long. An hour long luncheon stretched into a two hour debate of the schematics of placing a headquarters in Europe. His meeting with a representative from China was wrongly canceled, and he now had a very angry, not well-rehearsed in English corporate officer to deal with. Stark Industries had fared well during Tony's vacation, but not nearly close to his standards. Returning home with a throbbing head and sore eyes, all Tony wanted was to lie down on his bed and never get up.

He was looking forward to tonight, as much as he loved Pepper, he also loved having his bed to himself. Able to toss and turn and hog all the blankets. Pepper had left that afternoon for some public relations meeting in Florida and now Tony was left to his own devices. Turning some Black Sabbath on for background noise, he slipped into his pajamas and spread himself out on the bed. Staring up at the ceiling, he began to relax and drift off, singing along softly to Zeitgeist. His eyes closed, breath evening out as he slipped away, his singing turning into soft mumblings.

_Buildings crumbled around him as he fought to keep control of the missile. Up, up, up he went as he forced the bomb through the portal. He let go, and immediately felt as though he were floating. He could feel the lack of air in his suit. Each breath was a wheezing cough trying to bring in as much oxygen as he could. His suit slowly lost power, the last lights blinking out as his eyes fluttered close. He couldn't tell that he was falling, couldn't tell that the portal was closing up right behind him. His panic reached a peak before finally dissipating, replaced by an odd sense of calm. He was dying. Was dead. He didn't know. Everything was black, no, more like everything was nothing. The peace and calm were gone as soon as they had appeared when a brutal roar pierced his ears. His heart beat. His lungs sucked in a desperate gasp of breath. His eyes flew open, blurry at first but then focusing on the Captain. Relief flooded Steve's face as Tony took in his surroundings. He was alive. They were all alive. They had won. A smile grew on Steve's face as he slowly leaned towards Tony, "You scared us there for a minute, metal head." Closer and closer he got before touching his lips against-_

Tony shot up out of bed, heart beating as hard as the night before. His vision swam as he tried regain his consciousness. Quickly silencing his music, he sat up in bed and took two seconds to gather himself before yelling, "JARVIS!"

A beat before, "How may I help you, sir?", finally rang out.

"We got a problem. That needs fixed. Now."

"Is it the nightmares again, sir? I found some natural remedies that are supposed to alleviate them, you may want to try-"

"I don't want to try any of those hippy methods that involve yoga and herbal tea. And yes. It was the nightmare. But it was more than that...", Tony grew quiet and showed no intention of continuing his thought.

"Sir, although you have programmed me to be rather intelligent, I cannot read minds. You must elaborate. Or quit responding as you've been known to do."

Ignoring the jab, he slowly hissed,"It was Steve again."

"Sir, I cannot fathom why he is bothering you so. You seem to be merely remembering events that happened in your life. Steve was a part of those moments, sir. I've scanned several dream analyses and found this to be the most fitting of what you are experiencing."

"It wasn't the same as last time... He... I...", Tony stared at the ceiling before throwing his hands down on the bed. Why was he telling this to JARVIS? Since when had he become the man to talk out his feelings? How much of his former self left with the reactor?

"Sir, again, I cannot read minds, I can only-"

"Steve kissed me. Or was about to. Oh god, I don't even know," and with that he flopped ungracefully back into the bed. Why was his heart still beating so goddamn fast?

After what seemed like an excruciating amount of time, JARVIS replied, "I see. Well, erm, I am quite afraid I do not know what to tell you, sir. I do apologize."

"Great," Tony mumbled to himself. JARVIS, the know-it-all wonder, was at a loss for words. And Tony made him. He was supposed to have an answer for everything, be the most intelligent thing on the planet really. And yet here he was, without an answer for Tony's "predicament".

"Sir, might I suggest you call Captain Rogers?"

"Yeah? And what would I say? 'Hey, Cap', haven't talked to you in a while. Just thought I'd let you know I've been having homoerotic dreams about you. Wanna get a drink?'" Tony cringed at how harsh his words sounded.

"I'm sorry sir, it was just a suggestion. If that'll be all you'll be needing, I'll just..."

"No, JARVIS, I'm sorry. I'm just... Tired. I'm just tired." Tony wasn't one for apologizing, but it was JARVIS. And maybe he wasn't human, but he was there for Tony more often than not. "I'm sorry bud."

"It's quite alright, sir. Will you be needing anything else?"

Tony thought for a moment. Should he really call Steve? Explain everything that was going on?

No.

It was just a dream. Nothing more. He hadn't seen him for almost year. Why bother him now?

"I think... That's it JARVIS. I better get some sleep. Upload my schedule from Pepper's files and have my alarm set for me, will you?"

Again, JARVIS replied with an almost imperceptible tinge of disappointment in his voice, "Yes, sir, I will do that right away, have a nice night."

By then, Tony was already sound asleep. No sign of stress present on his relaxed face.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day went by uneventfully. Without Pepper there to boss him around, Tony's day was rather bland and boring. No mess ups or mishaps bombarded his day as he continued meeting with more straight laced CEOs and rumpled businessmen. The day provided him with an excuse to bother JARVIS more often, he hadn't realized how much he had missed his friend. System. Siri on crack. Whatever JARVIS was. It was just nice to have someone around that wasn't, well, someone.

Coming home couldn't have come sooner, Tony was nearly dying of boredom and needed something, anything to spice the rest of his day up. Plopping on the couch he scrolled through his Netflix. Watching movies wasn't something Tony normally did, but the night was young, and he was alone, so why not indulge a little? Scrolling through all the romantic comedies and bad superhero films, he finally settled on some film claiming to be the "funniest movie of the year"; whether that proved the be true or not, Tony wouldn't know. Thirty minutes in, his head was leaning against the back of the couch as he snored quietly. Comfort apparently wasn't an issue for him, as he hardly budged from the awkward position. His even breathing and the slight fluttering of his eyelids continued for some time before something changed. His eyes began to dart beneath the lids, his head tossing from side to side as he mumbled incoherently. His breathing picked up pace as his hands dug into the couch underneath him.

_Falling and suffocating. Dying and living again. But then Steve. Steve leaning in. The soft lips of the Captain just slightly touching his. Pulling back. A quick look for reassurance before diving back in. A fierce battle of tongue and teeth. Desperate? Yes. But hell, both of them had nearly died and they had been putting this off for way too long. Dancing around each other with sarcastic jabs and mocking tones. The Captain pulled back before staring at Tony longingly, "You better not do anything to scare me like that again."_

By now, Tony's eyes had quit darting and his head had stopped thrashing. The turn in events within his dream had taken a different effect on his body. His chest still rose and fell rapidly, but it was no longer the cause of panic. Tony's eyes fluttered open as he slowly woke from his dream. Instead of the shaky hands and sweaty palms he normally woke with, he found himself to be very flushed... and very aroused.

"JARVIS, buddy, I need your help again."

"Sir, if it indeed is Steve again, which I assume it to be based off of your body chemistry, I truly do not understand what you want me to do."

Tony's brow furrowed as his head fought with himself. Clearly some part of him either missed the Captain and was fucking with him, or part of him wanted Steve. In an alarming way.

"Call Steve."

"I do not see why you expect a computer to understand human- Excuse me, sir, but what?"

"Call Steve. Pretty simple command don't you think?"

"I-I apologize, sir. Now calling Mr. Steve Rogers."

The ringing filled Tony's house as he sat on his couch, twiddling his thumbs anxiously. Was this really the right thing to do? What the hell was he going to get out of this? His doubt was cut short when the ringing stopped and a very gravely, very tired sounding voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Hi. Um... Is this Steve?"

"Yeah...?"

"This is Tony. Tony Stark."

"Tony? Tony Stark is calling me at one in the morning?" He laughed tiredly, "It's nice to hear from you, but what to do want? Does Fury need us?"

Shit. This wasn't going according to plan at all. Not that there had been a plan. But if there had been, this definitely wasn't it.

"Wanna get a drink?", Tony winced as he realized how ridiculous he must sound. It had been a year since he had last seen the Captain, and now he was asking him to go for a drink in the middle of the night? He quickly added to his request, trying to make himself seem more sane, "Sometime. Wanna go get a drink with me sometime? Y'know, for old times sake?"

"Ummm... Sure. Are you okay?", Steve seemed legitimately concerned, yup, definitely not going as planned.

"Yeah, better than ever, Stars n' Stripes. So, Saturday, 8 o'clock? I can come get you. Actually, well, where do you live now exactly?"

"Colorado," he chuckled. "I like the desert. Maybe it has something to do with being in a block of ice for 50 years."

"Yeah," Tony laughed weakly,"Guess I'll be picking you up in my jet then..."

"What, I don't get an escort from you and your suit?", Steve laughed heartily.

"You didn't hear," it wasn't a question. It wasn't until now that Tony realized just how little they must know about each other at this point.

"Hear what?"

"I don't have the suits anymore. I had the shrapnel removed too. No reactor, no suits. I'm just Tony now..."

"Oh. Tony, I'm sorry I guess. I didn't know. How long?"

"Almost two months."

"Shit."

"Yeah."

"Must've been a big step for you."

"Yeah it was."

The line was quiet for a whole. Neither of them knowing quite what to say. Steve finally broke the silence.

"So, Thursday at 8?"

"Um, yeah. If that's okay."

"Sounds perfect. I guess I'll see you then Tony."

"Yeah. See ya Cap'."

One of them hung up. Whether it was Steve, or JARVIS sensing that the conversation was over, Tony didn't know.

What he did know?

He had just asked Steve Rogers, America's hero, on a date.

He had less than three days to prepare for this.

And Pepper was coming home in a week.

Shit.


End file.
